New Jaguar Land Rovers to be electric from 2020

JAGUAR Land Rover (JLR) has committed to an electrified future, promising every single new passenger car and SUV model released from 2020 onwards will feature either a pure-electric, full-hybrid or mild-hybrid powertrain.

Announced at the first JLR Tech fest in London, Jaguar’s first all-electric model is already confirmed to be the I-Pace SUV (shown alongside the declaration) which will be rolled-out next year and tipped to be revealed in production guise at next week’s Frankfurt motor show.

Beyond that, Jaguar’s oldest model – the XJ upper-large premium sedan – will likely be the next to receive the hybridisation or electrification treatment and serve as a technological flagship for the rest of the Leaping Cat line-up including the XE mid-sizer, XF large sedan and wagon, E-Pace crossover, F-Pace SUV and F-Type sportscar.

Land Rover on the other hand, already offers hybrid versions of its Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Vogue in overseas markets, but will need to expand its electrification to the Range Rover Evoque and new Range Rover Velar, as well as the Discovery and Discovery Sport models.

Speaking at the event, JLR chief executive officer Ralf Speth said expanding its electrification technologies across the product portfolio will give its buyers more options.

“Every new Jaguar Land Rover model line will be electrified from 2020, giving our customers even more choice,” he said.

“We will introduce a portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles.” Alongside the announcement, Jaguar also unveiled an electrified version of its iconic E-Type – dubbed Zero – which swaps out the petrol engine for a 220kW electric motor capable of accelerating the 1968 roadster from zero to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds.

Instrumentation has also been updated to accommodate the emissions-free powertrain, while Jaguar claims its lithium-ion battery pack measures the same size and almost the same weight as the outgoing six-cylinder engine.

The E-Type Zero boasts a real-world driving range of 270km, while a full charge takes about seven hours from a standard charging outlet.

The Future-Type concept is also on display in London (see separate story), while the remainder of the Tech Fest also covers autonomous testing in the rear world, recycling vehicle materials into surfboards and recruiting engineering employees via live challenges and a code-breaking app.